Next stop, the Saguaro SKP park in Benson, AZ. This was our last hurrah in the state of AZ. The SKP park was very spacious and nice, with a large tract of desert and walking trails out the back gate. Again, as in Nevada, we quickly spotted a big corn fed farmer type wandering into a local restaurant packin’ heat in a belt holster (in layman’s terms, openly carrying a firearm in public). Later in our stay, while I was getting fuel at a local gas station, the mechanic from the garage next door wandered in, him too packin’ heat in a belt holster. I spoke to him about it and he says AZ has no concealed weapons ban, no permits required, and all firearms can be carried loaded. WOW! I guess you don’t argue the cost of a brake job here!

Our home in Benson AZ at the Saguaro SKP Park

Hiking in the desert, one would think texting on a cell phone should not occur!

Madison, “The Princess” waits on mom to finish texting during their desert walk.

Our first touristy thing was a visit to Tombstone, about 25 miles from our park. Several of the streets are blocked off to traffic and you can wander shop to shop, check out the bars and restaurants, or see several wild west shows, including the re-enactment of the Shootout At The OK Corral. The drawback to this whole experience is that EACH attraction/venue charges separately, so you could potentially rack up a hefty entertainment bill for the day. They do trolley tours and a stage coach tour of the town, and there are numerous folks wandering around in character wearing period costumes. Of course we could not leave without checking out the Boothill Graveyard.

Downtown street of Tombstone AZ

Things don’t change over the course of decades and centuries!

One of the old West characters wandering the streets of Tombstone…

My new pal in the Tombstone Jail. Quick, send bail money!

One of Boothill’s residents…

These are the ones who put Tombstone on the map.

Next on our tour we decided to visit a place called Council Rocks. It took us 16 miles out a 4-wheeling type dirt road outside of Tombstone. A short walk up a trail into some picturesque rock formations to a “cave” created by massive rocks leaning on each other. The local indians of ages ago used the area, there being evidence of holes ground into the stones, used for grinding grains in, as well as petroglyphs painted on the rocks.

In the hills of the Council Rocks, outside of Tombstone, AZ

Rock formations at the Council Rocks area.

Bisbee, AZ was an interesting town, kind of jammed in canyons and reminded us of the French Quarter in “Nawlins”. We walked downtown and took the Queen Mine tour. That tour took us into the Queen Mine that was huge in copper production, as well as some gold and silver, until they ceased mining there in 1975.

“47 degrees down in the mine and you are going dressed like THAT?!?!?

The streets of Bisbee, AZ

Down in the heart of the beast, Queen Mine.

After a week at the SKP park, we said, “adios” to good ol’ AZ. We drove to Deming, NM for a short stopover at the Dreamcatcher RV Park SKP/Rainbow Park. We scouted two of our next stops, New Mexico’s Rockhound State Park, and the City of Rocks State Park. Descriptions of those escapades are soon to follow…